Improvement in mode of unloading vessels



l 'Nrrnn STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE MILSOM, HENRY SPENDELOVV, AND GEORGE V. WATSON, OF BUFFALQ'NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MODE OF UNLOADING VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,75 E dated August 2, 1864.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE MILsoM, HENRY SPENDELow, and GEORGE V. WAT- soN, of the city of Buffalo, county oilErie, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved Apparatus for Unloading Grain-Vessels 5 and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the `same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and the letters of reference marked there on, in which- Figure I is a vertical longitudinal section of a vessel taken upon one side of the center, showing the arrangement of the apparatus where the vessel is provided with a set of thwarts or beams midway between the deck and vessel-bottom. Fig. II is a similar section showing the arrangement of the apparatus in a vessel without said beams. Fig. III is aplan of vessel and apparatus. Fig. IV is a front elevation of machinery located uponthe dock or in an elevator-building for operating the apparatus, and Fig. V is a side elevation of same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in eao'h of the figures.

rlhe nature of this invention consists, first, in operating a number of scoops, shovels, or rakes within the hold of a vessel for the purpose of bringing the grain from all parts of the vessel up to the foot of thc elevating-leg entered through one of the hatches, and by which it is taken from the vessel and raised into the elevator-building or storehouse byl means of ropes or chains leading from the elevator-building or from the dock, and passing through the hatch and over a system of sheaves Yor blocks connected at pleasure to any of the deck-beams of the vessel; second, in the peculiar construction of the scoop, by which it is made to dump its load at the foot of the elevating-leg.

A represents the vessel, and A the hatchway through which `the elevator-leg B is entered.

C C represent scoops, one working on either side of the elevator-leg.

D represents a rope or chain, to which the scoops are connected, and by means of which motion is given to the scoops. The ends of this rope or chain lead from the scoops forward and aft over or through the snatch blocks E, connected to one of the-deck-beams, and returning toward the hatch pass over the guidesheaves E and through the blocks E2, hung on a stout bar, F, connected rinly'to the combings of the hatch by the clamps F', and thence directly to the windlass-barrels G, located in the elevatorbuilding or on the dock, cach end of the line being connected to a separate barrel, so that the unwinding of the rope from one windlass and the winding up of it on the other windlass gives a horizontal movement to the scoops within the hold of the vessels. By alternately reversing the motions of the two windlasses this motion of the scoops becomes reciprocating, so that they are made to alternately approach to and recede from the elevator-leg, and, since they are placed on opposite sides of the elevator-leg, when one is approachin g the other is receding. The month of the scoops being toward the leg, the one approaching the leg will ll itself with grain, which, by proper mechanism, to be described, it will deposit at the foot of the elevator-leg. As the empty scoop starts to go back the other acts in the same way on the opposite side of the leg, so that no time is lost in the backward passage of the scoop, and a uniform and steady feeding of the elevator-leg is effected. The scoop (l is provided with a swinging` back, G', hinged, as shown at G2, a little above its center. The lower edge of the back is weighted, so as to cause it to shut quickly and retain its position while moving up to the leg.

H represents a block connected to one of the deck-beams on line with center of the hatch, over which the slack part of the line D, or the parts to which the sweeps are fastened, passes. The effect of this is to cause thc scoops to rise up as they approach the leg, so that the weight of the grain in the scoop is thrown upon the back C', causing it to open and deposit the load at or near the foot of the elevator-leg.

In a vessel loaded with a full cargo of grain tle space between the top of the grain and the deck of the vessel is so small as to leave no room for the connection of any iixtureswhch makes it necessary that the whole apparatus shall be separate and distinct from the vessel, but at the same time capable of quick and easy connection-and adjustment.

' When the elevator-leg is first entered into the hatchway of the vessel, it will feed itself until it has taken up from three to five thousand bushels, or until it has Amade its way to the bottom of the vessel. This clears an ainple space for the connection and adjustment of our apparatus, the manner of doing which is as follows The scoops are first placed into the hold through the hatch way. The snatchblocks E are then connected tothe deck-beams as far forward and aft as the space already cleared by the elevator will permit. These snatch-blocks are made with jaws which clasp the deck-beam and are furnished with a setscrew, so that they may be readily and quickly connected to any beam desired. The bar F, to which the blocks E2 are hung, is then secured' to the combing of the hatch by the clamps F', and the guide-sheaves E and block H put in plaee.- The Arope on chain D is then run through these blocks, as before described, and led back to the windlass-barrels. Thescoops are then connected and the apparatus is ready to work. All of this, except the connection at the blocks E, may be done while the elevator-leg will feed itself, and since these can be connected. in a moment no time need be lost. The scoops being put in motion by the windlasses, they willcontinue to feed the elevator until they have removed the grain as far back as the blocks E will permit them to move, and will have cleared a space some distance beyond them, which will allow the blocks E to be moved farther from the hatch and thus allow the movement of the scoops to be increased and allow them to move the grain, which before was beyond their reach. As fast as the scoops work their way into the cargo of grain these blocks E must be moved, as described, and more line given out from the windlass-barrels. It is also necessary that the scoops should be farther apart on the line as their length of movementiiicreases. To do this they should be provided-with convenient vrclutches or clamps so that they may be readily connected or disconnected from the' line. By this apparatus the most distant parts at the cargo may be brought to the elevator-leg Without manual labor, except that necessary. to attend to the shifting of the blocks and scoops.

In a large vessel provided with a row of thwarts or beams midway between the deck and bottom of the vessel, as seen at I, Fig. I, the arrangement of the ropes and blocks may be slightly different frein that already described. The blocks E, instead of being connceted to the deck-beams,arc connected to the beams I. The guide-sheaves E and blocks E2 are arranged the same as before described, also the block H but the rope, before being carried over the guide-sheaves and through the blocks, is taken to a snatch-block, E3, on either side of the hatch, by which the rope is made to pull at a less angle on the scoops or shovels. Friction-rollers J are also secured to the beams I nearest the hatch, which pre4 vent the rope from cutting or chai'ing upon said beams I. With these exceptions the arrangement and manner of operating is the same, the rope or chain D being led to separatel windlasses G below `the windlasses G. Instead of scoops, .a shovel, K, and rake L are represented as connected to Vthe. rope. Their operation, except that they do not dump their load, is the same as the scoops. They are provided with rollers L at their backs, and the rope is so connected to them that in their receding motion they move uponV these rollers. Most lake' vessels having Vcenterboards, which divide them longitudinally into two compartments. It is necessary in unloading such vessels to have two sets of scoops or shovels, one set upon each side, so that the cargo may be taken out evenly and without straining the vessel, but the arrangement and manner of operating either set is the same.

The construction and manner of operating the windlasses is as follows: M represents machinery posts located within the elevatorbuilding or on the dock, upon which the windlass-barrels G and G and driving-shafts N are supported, the shaft N being located between the windlasses and receiving its motion from the motive power in the elevator-building, or, when located on the dock, fiom an appropriate engine. The windlasses have jourlnal-bearings atwtheir outer ends in the posts M, but at their inner ends the bearings are formed in one end of levers or brakes O, which have their fulcrums at O. By raising and lowering on the levers the frictionpulleys P on the inner ends of the windlass-barrels may be thrown in contact with the friction-pulleys P on the driving-shaft and made to revolve and wind up on the rope D, or out of contact, and allowed to revolve when the rope is unwinding.

It is evident that the attendant, by operating the levers O, can give motion to any one ofthe windlass-barrels at pleasure. By throwing intol gear one of the windlass-barrels G, and leaving the other free to revolve, the rope D will be wound up on the one to which motion is given and unwound in the same proportion from the other, and consequently motion will be given to the scoops or shovels connected to the rope D within the hold of the vessel in one direction as long as neces'- sary, when, by reversing the position o'f the windlassbarrels-that is, throwing the one in gear out, and the one out in-motion is given to the scoops or shovels in the reversed direction. Ihe proper times for reversing the motion of the scoops or shovels is signaled to the windlass attendant by a second attendant stationed at the hatch of the vessel, who can observe the progress of the scoops.

The windlass-barrels Gf, by which the scoops on the opposite sideof the center-board ofthe vessel are moved, are operated in the same manner as above described.

The utility of this invention consists in, first, that it provides a means of doing by steam-power what has heretofore been accomplished only by manual labor, that labor being of the most severe and unhealthy kind; second, that it materially lessens the expense and reduces the loss of time heretofore attending the unloading of grainvessels; third, in that it requires no permanent xtures of any kind to be connected to the vessel, the Whole apparatus belonging to and forming part of the elevator; fourth7 that its temporary connection to, and adjustment in, the vessel can be done by the ordinary hands employed on the vessel.

Having thus described our invention, What GEORGE MILSOM. HENRY SPENDELOW. GEORGE V. WATSON.

Witnesses:

W. H. FoRBusH, B. H. MUEHLE. 

